vrijen

From Middle Dutch vrien, from Old Dutch *frīon, from Proto-West Germanic *frijōn (“to love”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈvrɛi̯ə(n)/

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• Rhymes: -ɛi̯ən

vrijen

1. (intransitive) to make love, to have sex [from 20th century]

   Het is heel belangrijk om veilig te vrijen.

   It's very important to have safe sex.

   • 2008, Bram Bakker, “Weg met Dr. Atkins”, in De dwarse psychiater, Uitgeverij Maarten Muntinga, Amsterdam, →ISBN:

     En partners krijgen niet de echte reden te horen waarom er zo weinig gevreeën wordt.

     And partners don’t get to hear the real reason why not much is happening in bed.

2. (intransitive) to make out, to cuddle, to hug and kiss

   Zij vroeg haar vriendje om eerst gewoon te vrijen.

   She asked her boyfriend to just kiss and hug first.

3. (intransitive) to have a relationship, to be a couple, to go out with someone

   Zij heeft haar vriend Alex leren kennen op internet en ze vrijen al meer dan een jaar nu.

   She met her boyfriend Alex on the Internet and now they've been going out together for more than a year already.

• The ambiguity between the first two senses often leads to confusion, which can lead the hearer to ask for clarification which sense is meant, but it also conveys exactly that the distinction might not be clear.
• At least in the Netherlands and Belgium, the first sense ("have sex") is by far the most common use of this word.

• (have sex): seks hebben, een nummertje maken, naaien, neuken, vozen
• (make out): knuffelen
• (have a relationship): gaan met, verkeren, verkering hebben

• bevrijden
• op vrijersvoeten
• vrijer
• vrijerig
• vrijerij

• Berbice Creole Dutch: freri
• Negerhollands: fri, vrie

• nijver